Historian and archaeologist Prof. Dr. Nade Proeva, one of the most important researchers of ancient Macedonia, has been honored posthumously with the „8 September“ Order. The recognition was presented by President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova at a ceremony at Villa Vodno.

Proeva (1949-2024) was a full professor at the „Ss. Cyril and Methodius“ University in Skopje, with a doctorate in history and a body of work spanning epigraphy, numismatics and the religion of antiquity. She took part in archaeological research in Macedonia, Serbia, Poland and Greece, and was internationally recognized for her work.

The award is for „a special contribution to the affirmation of Macedonian historiography as an eminent and internationally recognized historian, professor and author“, the ceremony noted. The president recalled her idea that knowledge „does not come from persuasion, but from research; it is not based on assumptions, but on relevant sources“.

At a time when the history of this region is constantly used as a political weapon, a figure like Proeva is a reminder of the difference between scholarship and propaganda. She defended the method - the sources, the evidence, the verification - over comfortable stories. The order comes posthumously, as it so often does with people who deserve more while they are alive.